Kingdom

by Michael Allen Harris

Run Time: 2hrs 10min

Cast Size: 1F, 4M

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Living in the near-literal shadow of Orlando’s Magic Kingdom, life-long partners Arthur and Henry are coming to terms with their differing opinions on marriage on the heels of Florida legalizing same-sex unions. Meanwhile, their son Alex and niece Phaedra try to break free from the vicious cycles of heartbreak and addiction. Kingdom is the story of an entirely LGBTQ African-American family struggling to create a life together and, in the process, capture a little bit of magic of their own.

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Characters:Henry- (60’s-70’s): African American. Arthur’s partner of nearly fifty years.Arthur- (60’s-70’s): African American. A retired US Army Veteran.Phaedra- (Late 40’s): African American. Identifies as an “old school butch lesbian.”Alexander- (Late 20’s): African American. Arthur and Henry’s son. Works for Disney World.Malik- (Late 20’s): African American. A quarterback in the NFL. Setting:Arthur and Henry’s home: A humble and delicate house located in a working middle class neighborhood; the Pine Hills neighborhood.

Notes:The house is small, but carries a rich history and warmth. It is southern, Florida southern. Artifacts of military awards and decorations, family photos, and Disney memorabilia scatter the house with the organization one would find in a museum. There is a backyard which is outlined by a corroding wooden fence. There is also a large silver trunk that is consumed by rust, a weather beaten tin garbage can, and a muscular branch that looms from the neighboring yard. An old punching bag hangs from it.

Michael Allen Harris is originally from Jacksonville, FL and holds a BFA in Acting from Columbia College Chicago. In March 2013, his play Rocky Road received its world premiere at the New Studio Theatre of Columbia College Chicago and was directed by Chicago actor/playwright/director Tom Mula. It was the first production featured in the Main Stage season that was authored by an alumnus. In the fall of 2017, Punk received its world premiere on behalf of The New Colony. Kingdom received its world premiere in the spring of 2018 on behalf of Broken Nose Theatre. It has been nominated for “Best New Play” at the 2018 Non-Equity Jeff Awards. Michael is a Resident Playwright of Broken Nose Theatre and an ensemble member with The New Colony and Eclipse Theatre Company. Michael is currently pursuing his MFA in Dramatic Writing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Performance Royalties are based on theater particulars. Please fill out an application for a personalized quote. Billing responsibilities, pertinent copyright information, and playwrights' biographies are available in the show rider that comes with your license agreement.To download the show rider for Kingdom, click here.

“Recommended! Kingdom, given an impassioned premiere in director Kanome Jones’s insightful staging for Broken Nose Theatre, reveals [playwright] Harris on the brink of greatness… shows engrossing empathy for all his characters. This is the rare gay play that refuses to judge even the unrepentantly closeted character.” –Justin Hayford, Chicago Reader

“★★★½ Stars! Unmissable…” Harris’ groundbreaking world premiere is a lovely, modern rumination on what makes a family. –Lauren Whalen, Chicago Theater Beat

“★★★★A breath of fresh air “–Darlene Leal, Roosevelt Torch

“A lovely, lovely story… The characters are as vivid and colorful as the Disney merchandise that litters the set, but much more nuanced and real.” –Jessie Bond, Splash Magazine

“Something all of Chicago sorely needs to see right now. When questions about representation and storytelling occur, it is companies like Broken Nose that are willing to produce the intersectional stories that bring out the best in our society.” –Sarah Bowden, Theatre By Numbers

“Opens the doors to many discussions needing to be had about black gay men and the scarcity of affection… A beautiful message to experience…” –Phillip Lewis, PerformInk

“[A show with] Amazing representation that you don’t see onstage…” –Scott Duff, Out Chicago Radio

Materials: your materials will be sent to you two months prior to your opening date and will include everything necessary for your production and can be ordered in Printed or Digital format. Printed Materials are provided on unbound three-hole punched loose-leaf paper while digital Materials are provided via email as downloadable PDF files for you to print in-house. All materials are yours to keep! No deposits, no returns.